Thais busting travel budgets
While many Thais intend on being frugal for their vacation spending, most end up going over budget, according to a study by Booking.com, an online accommodations booking platform.
The study found 79% of Thai travellers say they attempt to plan a budget and stick to it, but 58% say they end up overspending anyway.
Despite this behaviour, about ¾ of Thai travellers (76%) say they will budget their travel as cost effectively as possible to fit in more trips than they did this year. To do this, 58% say they would be willing to skip popular tourist attractions if they find them too expensive.
The report also predicts an increase in travel spending on experiences next year, with 55% of Thai travellers planning to spend more on experiences, entertainment and attractions than they did this year.
Some 68% of Thais surveyed say they value experiences higher than material possessions. This remains constant among age categories, with 74% of those over 45 feeling this way, 68% for 35 to 44-year-olds, and 67% for millennials. Experience spending is expected to only gain in popularity in the coming years.
The website said tourism authorities are increasingly trying to attract travellers during off-seasons and to areas outside mainstream tourist destinations. Some 62% of Thai travellers say they would be willing to travel during off-peak seasons, while 57% say they would be willing to stay in accommodations outside central tourist areas.
And 63% say they would be open to sharing their travel plans with tourism authorities to get tailored recommendations.
The research was conducted among 21,500 adult respondents from 29 countries (500 from Thailand) who have taken a trip in the last 12 months or plan to take a trip in the next 12 months.